Ontario SPCA Gathers for Largest Ever Annual Educational Conference

RAMA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 10, 2015) - The Ontario SPCA, together with animal welfare professionals and community representatives from across the province, gather this week at Casino Rama for their largest ever annual educational conference. The Ontario SPCA's 2015 Educational Conference focuses on innovations in animal welfare, investigations and leadership.

The conference, now in its seventh year, is the largest of its kind, tailored to dedicated animal welfare professionals from across Ontario and Canada. This year, the Ontario SPCA is pleased to welcome more than 300 delegates, international noteworthy speakers and dignitaries, and Ontario's Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Honourable Yasir Naqvi.

"We are honored to have Minister Naqvi join us at this year's educational conference. With the annual provincial funding announced in 2014, we have made outstanding progress in the reporting of and response to animal cruelty complaints, expansion of humane education programs and increased enforcement," said Connie Mallory, Chief Inspector, Ontario SPCA, "We thank Minister Naqvi for his active commitment to animal welfare - and we congratulate him on taking concrete action to protect marine mammals in Ontario."

"Our government is focused on making sure our pets, and all animals, are protected," said Yasir Naqvi, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. "The vital and valuable work the Ontario SPCA and their local affiliates do every day is a key part of those efforts. We are proud to support their efforts to ensure the welfare of animals and enforcing Ontario's strong rules to protect animals. Our strong partnership, and our $5.5 million in annual funding, makes sure more cases of animal abuse can be reported, more animals are protected, and more animal abusers are brought to justice. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership in the years to come."

The Ontario SPCA and the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services are working together, to provide enhanced protection of animals and service to communities through reinforced, new and expanded programs across the Province. In 2014, the Ontario SPCA and Ontario government worked together to achieve:

• Over 22,000 calls to report animal cruelty through the new 310-SPCA 24 hour dispatch centre,
• Nearly 18,000 complaints of animal abuse investigated,
• The development of new animal wellness service programs for First Nations Communities, and
• The development of the provincial zoo registry, with 39 zoos registered and 122 inspections completed.

Ontario SPCA and Humane Society:

Protecting animals since 1873, the Ontario SPCA is a registered charity comprised of over 50 communities. Since 1919, when Ontario's first Animal Welfare legislation was proclaimed, the Ontario SPCA, with the help of its Communities, has been entrusted to maintain and enforce Animal Welfare legislation. The Ontario SPCA Act provides the Society's Agents and Inspectors with police powers to do so.